This invention relates to cleaning blades used in image forming devices and more particularly to a layered cleaning blade providing both a low-hardness wiper surface and a high-hardness scraper edge.
Image forming devices using fluid ejecting heads to mark a substrate with marking fluids are known. Also, it is known to equip such an image forming device with one or more cleaning blades that act to clean the fluid ejecting head by removing residual marking fluid therefrom. For example, the foregoing Gast patent at col. 5, lines 16-60 describes an inkjet printer device 10 generally shown in FIG. 1 thereof utilizing a printhead carriage 14 including print cartridges 30 and 32, which cartridges each have an associated printhead 31 and 33 provided on a bottom surface thereof, each printing with fluid ink. Gast generally in col. 6 and especially at lines 59-62 thereof describes a wiper mechanism 65 including at least two blades 61 and 63 and preferably four blades 61, 61A, 63 and 63A to wipe the printheads 31 and 33.
Also, the foregoing Nakamura patent at col. 6, lines 39-68 and col. 7, lines 1-34 describes an ink-jet recording apparatus generally shown in FIG. 1 thereof, with an ink recording head 7 containing ink discharge ports. Nakamura in FIGS. 1-2 depicts various embodiments wherein a cleaning blade 1 (shown in FIG. 1) or two cleaning blades 1a-1b (shown in FIG. 2) are arranged to clean the discharge port 8 in which ink discharge ports 9 are arranged, as comprised in the recording head 7.
Also, the foregoing Premnath ""271 patent at col. 3, lines 27-51 describes an ink jet printer 10 generally shown in FIG. 1 thereof with a printhead 12 fixed to ink supply cartridge 14. Premnath ""271 in FIGS. 4-5 depicts two cleaning blades 30-31 arranged to clean nozzle face 23 comprising printhead face 80 of printhead 12, the printhead 12 containing plural nozzles 22, the latter nozzles 22 being shown in FIG. 1.
Also, the foregoing Ackerman patent at col. 3, lines 50-67 and col. 4, lines 1-34 describes an ink jet printer 10 generally shown in FIG. 1 thereof with a printhead 12 fixed to ink supply cartridge 14. Ackerman in FIG. 3 depicts two cleaning blades 30-31 cleaning ink nozzles 22 in the printhead 12.
Also, the foregoing Premnath ""071 patent at col. 2, lines 63-67 and col. 3, lines 1-64 describes an ink jet printer 10 generally shown in FIG.1 thereof with a printhead 18 having plural recording segments coupled to fluid inks. Premnath ""071 in FIG. 1 depicts 2 wiper blades 42-44 arranged to clean recording segments 18A-18D comprising ink nozzles 34 in nozzle face 36.
Also, the foregoing Uchida patent at col. 4, lines 58-67 and col. 5, lines 1-43 describes an ink jet recording apparatus generally shown in FIG. 8 thereof. See also Uchida""s FIG. 17 and corresponding text, which discloses an ink jet printer 1907. Uchida in FIG. 8 depicts 2 cleaning blade members 2a-2b supported by 2 holders 11-12 to clean discharging ports 1a of recording head 1.
In existing cleaning blades, however, it is not known to provide both a low-hardness wiper surface and a high-hardness scraper edge in a single cleaning blade.
As a result, there is a need for an improved cleaning blade.
In one aspect of the invention, there is described a layered cleaning blade comprising an elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a cleaning end and a distal mounting end, a smaller flat wiper blade disposed on the first surface with an outer wiper surface near the cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second surface forming a scraper edge near the cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.
In another aspect of the invention, there is described a layered cleaning blade comprising an elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a cleaning end and a distal mounting end, a smaller first flat wiper blade disposed on the first surface near the cleaning end to expose a first scraper edge comprised in the cleaning end, the outer surface of the first wiper blade near the cleaning end forming a first wiper surface comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the first scraper edge comprised of a relatively high-hardness material, and a smaller second flat wiper blade disposed on the second surface near the cleaning end to expose a second scraper edge comprised in the cleaning end, the outer surface of the second wiper blade near the cleaning end forming a second wiper surface comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second scraper edge comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is described a layered cleaning blade arrangement comprising a first layered cleaning blade comprising a first elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a first thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a first cleaning end and a distal first mounting end, a smaller flat first wiper blade disposed on the first surface with an outer first wiper surface near the first cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second surface forming a first scraper edge near the first cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material, and a second layered cleaning blade comprising a second elongated flat blade body forming a flat third surface, a second thickness and an opposite flat fourth surface, a second cleaning end and a distal second mounting end, a smaller flat second wiper blade disposed on the third surface with an outer second wiper surface near the second cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the fourth surface forming a second scraper edge near the second cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.
In a further aspect of the invention, there is described an image forming device arranged with one or more layered cleaning blades, at least one of the one or more layered cleaning blades comprising an elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a cleaning end and a distal mounting end, a smaller flat wiper blade disposed on the first surface with an outer wiper surface near the cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second surface forming a scraper edge near the cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.
In a still further aspect of the invention, there is described an image forming device arranged with one or more layered cleaning blades, at least one of the one or more layered cleaning blades comprising an elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a cleaning end and a distal mounting end, a smaller first flat wiper blade disposed on the first surface near the cleaning end to expose a first scraper edge comprised in the cleaning end, the outer surface of the first wiper blade near the cleaning end forming a first wiper surface comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the first scraper edge comprised of a relatively high-hardness material, and a smaller second flat wiper blade disposed on the second surface near the cleaning end to expose a second scraper edge comprised in the cleaning end, the outer surface of the second wiper blade near the cleaning end forming a second wiper surface comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second scraper edge comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.
In a yet further aspect of the invention, there is described an image forming device arranged with one or more layered cleaning blade arrangements, at least one of the one or more layered cleaning blade arrangements comprising a first layered cleaning blade comprising a first elongated flat blade body forming a flat first surface, a first thickness and an opposite flat second surface, a first cleaning end and a distal first mounting end, a smaller flat first wiper blade disposed on the first surface with an outer first wiper surface near the first cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the second surface forming a first scraper edge near the first cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material, and a second layered cleaning blade comprising a second elongated flat blade body forming a flat third surface, a second thickness and an opposite flat fourth surface, a second cleaning end and a distal second mounting end, a smaller flat second wiper blade disposed on the third surface with an outer second wiper surface near the second cleaning end comprised of a relatively low-hardness material, the fourth surface forming a second scraper edge near the second cleaning end comprised of a relatively high-hardness material.